Egypt's ancient architecture: New infrared imaging from space has revealed 17 buried pyramids in a lost city. Jose Fuste Raga/Corbis

May 26, 2011

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The video: Satellites orbiting 435 miles above the Earth have spotted the buried architectural remains of a previously unsuspected ancient Egyptian city. (Watch a BBC report below.) Using strong infrared imaging, Egyptologist Sarah Parcak and her team of "space scientists" found at least 17 pyramids and thousands of tombs and ancient settlements lying beneath the Egyptian soil. Because the mud bricks used in ancient construction are much denser than the surrounding earth, infrared satellites were able to determine the structure of the lost city. So far, two of the newly found pyramids have been excavated, but Parcak told the BBC that she expects many more discoveries.

The reaction: This is an amazing find, says Adam Frucci at DVICE. "It'll be incredible to see these structures dug up from the sand, unseen by human eyes for centuries. Who needs you, Indiana Jones?" And what a revolution in the way we hunt for ancient remains, says Melissa Bell at The Washington Post. "Instead of digging for buried treasures, archaeologists may now turn to the sky to seek out the answers to our past." See for yourself: